Book 145

Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother, Too?, by Eric Carle, HarperCollins 2000.


Aside from the Simply Vera line by Vera Wang,  I am not crazy about Kohl's and seldom shop there.  I am, however, quite ecstatic about the Kohl's Cares books.  So while I may not wander through the rest of the store, I do very often look to see which books are Kohl's Cares books.  When Eric Carle was brought back as a Kohl's Cares author, I was thrilled.

My son turned four in November, he knows all his letters, and he is starting to be able to "read" simple words, especially if they are repeated frequently.  Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother, Too?  is a perfect book for him to start "reading".  The bulk of the text repeats with every page turn -- the only change being the animal in question.  Because he can recognize the animals, he can essentially "read" the entire book.  That is pretty exciting for him.

If I didn't already love Eric Carle's artwork before, I would have after I saw the peace dove he created last month.  I already did love his work, however, so now I just have a deeper appreciation for it.  His illustrations are vibrant, textured, easily recognizable both for the subject and as being Carle's work, and virtually hum with life.  There is a reason why he has been illustrating so successfully for so long.  There is a reason why he is one of the most well-known names in children's literature today.